Coin-collecting apparatus



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 11, 1926 ITLUETL Err- PIichele Hu em Dec. 23, 1930.

M. AUTERI COIN COLLECTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 11, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Imren [IF- Michele HEIE'Z Dec. 23, 1930. M. AUTERl COIN COLLEQTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 11, 1926 Imreu ur' TIichale 511 am f an Patented Dec. 23, 1930 units sr res PATENT @FFICE MICHELE AUTERI, OF. MILAN, ITALY, ASSIGNOR T SIEMENS & HALSKE AK'I'IEN- GESELLSCHAFT, WERNERWERK, OF SIEMENSS'I'ADT, NEAR BERLIN, GERMANY COIN-COLLECTING APPARATUS Application filed November 11, 1926, Serial No. 147,687, and. in Italy April 5, 1926.

The invention relates to a coin collecting apparatus for subscribers stations in telephone systems, particularly of the automatic kind, in which the inserted coin is directed by means of a movable coin chute either into the cash receptacle or into a refund chute leading outside, the coin serving at the same time as a medium for operating various contacts. f I

The known coin collecting apparatus of this 'kind depend on the weight of the inserted coin which must not be too small to bring about the switching operations necessary for actuating the contacts. The invention aims at producing'a definite function of the device, independent of the weight of the coin, this being done in that the movable coin chute is also used for controlling contacts for electrical switching operations.

According to the invention the arrangement is so contrived that the inserted coin is used as a coupling member for the tripping plunger of the movable coinchute for the purpose of displacing the same.

in the collecting position the coin chute is held by means of a special switching member'which, during the transposition of the coin chute, gets into a locked position and during the insertion of the next coin in the so slot, it is again released from its locking position by the pressure exerted by the coin.

The drawing shows the invention by way of an actual example, several views being shown with all the unessential parts omitted.

Fig. 1 shows a plan view of the coin collecting apparatus with the casing removed and in its rest position.

Fig. 2 shows the coin collector in side elevation with the casing partly in section, the 4.0 operating plunger being shown in two different positions.

Fig. 3 shows the apparatus in the same view with the plunger in the coin collecting position.

In the drawings, the sheet metal casing of the coin collecting apparatus is indicated by 1; 2 represents the cash receptacle arranged at the bottom of the casing, and 3 is the slot for the coin insertion. The open as ing of the latter passes into a stationary tubular portion 4 secured to the casing 1. A rotatably mounted lever 5 protrudes laterally into the tubular chute portion 4. This lever is provided at one end with an extension Swhich in the efiective position of the lever, as will be described later, acts upon contact springs 8 which are arranged laterally to the tubular portion 4 through the medium of swinging chute 7; Beneath the portion 4 there is a tubular coin chute portion 7 which, however, is not rigidly connected to the other tubular portion, but is movably mounted thereon by means of a leaf spring 9. By means otan extension 10 it closes a cut-away portion at one side of the upper tubular portion 4.

The movable chute portion 7 has arranged beneathit the cash receptacle 2, the opening of which iscontinued as a chute 11 up to the bottom of the chute 7. However, as Fig.2

shows, it does not enter right into the tube 7 but terminates somewhat to one side of it. 12 indicates the tubular portion running from the chute 7 to the coin refund opening 13. This portion 12 is formed of the sheet metal 14 of the chute 4, and connected to the casing 1 by means of the angular member 15. Movably mounted to the latter is a recipro eating plunger 16. One end ofthis plunger passesthrough openings 22 at the touching faces of the chutes 7 and 12 and passes into the latter, where it is held by the tension of a spring 18. This end is provided with a shoulder portion 23, having a projecting end 24, which, in conjunction with the lower part 20 of the refund chute, serves as a stop for an inserted coin. The outwardly protruding end of the operating plunger 16 is provided with. a ring 17 for easier manipulation. The method of operating thecoin collecting apparatus will now be described in detail.

Upon inserting a coin 19 in the slot 3, and provided that the lever 5 is in the effective position, this depending upon whether the coin for the last insertion was cashed ornot, the lever 5 is moved out of this position by the pressure of the coin; consequently the projection 6 of the lever releases the movable coin chute 7 so that it assumes the position as shown in Fig. 2. The coin now drops from the stationary chute 4 into the movable chute 7, and is held at the bottom opening thereof upon the extension 20 of the refund chute 12, by the projecting end 2-1l of the plunger 16. By the shifting of the lever 5 and the consequentmovemcnt of the chute 7, the contacts of the spring assembly 8 are operated by extension 10 ct chute T to short-circuit the microphone, in known manner, and to remove the short-circuit from the impulse springs of the number dial to render the number dial operable to establish the connection.

he springs 8 are a set of three make and break springs arranged to open the shunt around the microphone and close a shunt around the calling device when chute 7 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, and to reverse the condition of these circuits when the chute 7 is in the position shown in Fig. 2.

hen the connection is established and the desired subscriber has ans vered, then, for the purpose of collecting the coin, the plunger 16 is pushed in so that the shouldered end 23 may enter the opening 22 of the chute, as shown in Fig. 3, and come against the coin located there-in, thereby moving the chute. Consequently, this chute 7 is placed in an oblique position (Fig. 3) permitting end 6 of the lever 5 to fall behind portion 10 of the chute, so that the latter is held in this position. It the plunger 16 is again released, then, under the influence of one of its other springs 21 it returns to normal position. Now the coin 19 can drop into the tubular portion 11 of the cash box 2, as the neck 11 of said box is now beneath the opening of the chute 7. Owing to the position of the chute 7, the short circuit of the microphone is again removed by the extension 10 of chute 7, so that the conversation may take place.

If, however, the desired subscriber has not replied, or if he is already holding a conversation with another subscriber, then, the operating plunger 16 is drawn outward instead of being pushed in. By this action the coin 19 is released, so that it slips from its supporting surface 20, through the obliquely arranged chute 12 to the return opening 13. An actuation of the contacts does not take place in this case, as the position 01 the movable chute 7 remains unaltered. The plunger 16 is in this case returned to normal mid position by spring 18.

Now if, for the purpose of obtaining another call where the coin of the previous call was refunded, a coin is again inserted in the slot 3, this coin drops directly from the chute 4 into the chute '7, and remains there lying on the supporting face 20, because, owing to the position of the lever 5, the short circuiting of the impulse contact of the number dial has already been removed by the extension 10. Thus, the connection can be established directly by setting the switch. According as to whether the call to the desired subscr'ber is put through or not, the coin is either collected or refunded by pulling or pushing the operating plunger 16.

An abuse of the coin collecting apparatus cannot take place on account of its construction, as the actuation of the contacts for the connection is only possible when a coin is inserted. Further, as the weight of the coin has no influence in this arrangcn'ient on the switching of the contacts, this being done entirely by the coupling member, the arrangement may be employed to advantage when small coins are to be used. It should be observed that, instead of only a single operating plunger for refunding and cashing the coin, two plnngers may be provided, one o1 them serving to collect the coin, while the other one directs the coin to the refund opening when a connection is not successively established.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. In a pay-station coin box, a stationary coin chute, a collecting receptacle, a refund r ceptacle, said stationary chute terminating in a movable chute for directing an inserted coin either into said collecting receptacle or into said refund receptacle, a plunger for arresting said coin and for moving said movable chute through the medium of said coin, a set of contact springs for performing electrical switching operations, and means on said movable chute for controlling said springs.

2. In a pay-station coin box, a stationary coin chute, a collecting receptacle, a refund receptacle, said stationary chute terminating in a movable coin chute for directing an inserted coin either into said collecting receptacle or into said refund receptacle, means cooperating with an inserted coin as a coupling member and for holding said coin in that position for displacing said movable chute to direct said coin into said collecting receptacle, a set of contact springs for performing electrical switching operations, and means on said movable chute for controlling said contacts.

3. In a pay-station coin box, a stationary coin chute, a collecting receptacle, a refund receptacle, said stationary chute terminating in a movable coin chute provided for directmg ing receptacle or into said refund receptacle, manually controlled means cooperating with said inserted coin as a coupling member for arresting said coin and displacing said mov able coin chute to collect said coin, a set of contact springs for performing the electrical switching operations, and means on said movable coin chute for controlling said contact springs.

4-. In a paystation coin box, a stationary coin chute, a collecting receptacle, a refund receptacle, said stationary coin chute terminating in a movable coin chute provided for directing an inserted coin either into said colan inserted coin either into said collect- (iii lecting receptacle or into said refund receptacle, contact springs for controlling electrical switching operations, subscriber control means cooperating with a coin in said movable chute for operating said movable coin chute into the collecting position to operate said contact springs, and locking means on said stationary chute for maintaining said movable coin chute in said position to maintain said contact springs operated.

5. In a pay-station coin box, a stationary coin chute, a collecting receptacle, a refund receptacle, said stationary coin chute terminating in a movable coin chute provided for directing an inserted coin either into said collecting receptacle or into said refund receptacle, means for holding said coin and cooperating therewith as a coupling member for operating said movable coin chute into the collecting position, means on said stationary chute for locking said movable coin chute in said position, a set of contact springs arranged to perform electrical switching operations, and means on said movable coin chute for actuating said springs.

6. In a pay-station coin box, a stationary coin chute, a collecting receptacle, a refund receptacle, said stationary coin chute terminating in a movable coin chute provided for directing an inserted coin either into said collecting receptacle or'into said refund receptacle, means cooperating with said inserted coin for moving said movable coin chute into the collecting position, means for locking said movable coin chute in said position, said locking means operable by a coin subsequently inserted into said stationary coin chute for releasing said removable coin chute, a set of contact springs to perform electrical switch ing operations, and means on said movable chute for controlling said springs.

7. In a pay-station coin box, a stationary coin chute, a collecting receptacle, a refund receptacle, said stationary coin chute terminating in a movable coin chute provided for directing an inserted coin either into said collecting receptacle or into said refund receptacle, a single operating member for arresting said coin and cooperating therewith as a coupling member for controlling the operation of said movable coin chute, a set of contact springs provided to perform electrical switching operations, and means on said movable coin chute for controlling said springs.

8. In a pay-station coin box, a stationary C0111 chute terminating in a movable coin chute, a collecting receptacle, a refund receptacle, a locking member in saidstationary chute for locking said movable chute, contact springs for performing electrical switching operations, means on said movable chute for operating said contact springs when that chute is moved, a plunger adapted to be operated to move said movable chute, When it conserted in said stationary chute to unlock said movable chute and to permit the release of said contact springs, and means on said plunger for arresting said next inserted coin in said movable chute.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 12th day of October, A. D.

ING. MICHELE AUTERI. 

